More info on slush funds (FFRDCs)
I have located four codes for project types so far:
ER = Environmental Restoration Programs
WP = Weapons Systems and Platforms
RC = Resource Conservation
MR = Munitions Response
Here are some of the entities involved (I'm leaving out the colleges for the time being- too many)
CDM Smith
Aptim Federal Services
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Engineering Mechanics Corporation of Columbus
The Center for Enterprise Modernization (CEM) (operated by The MITRE Corporation)
Naval Air Warfare Center WD (China Lake, CA)
Resodyn Corporation
NSWC IHEODTD (Indian Head, MD)
Southwest Research Institute
Integran Technologies
Geometrics
Aerovel Corporation
Aerovironment Inc
Aurora Flight Sciences
Lockheed Martin
Mission Technology Systems LLC
NSWC-PCD (Panama City Beach, FL)
CB&I Federal Services
TNO (Rijswijk, Netherlands)
Aerojet General Corporation
Savannah River National Laboratory
Engility Corporation
How they game the system:
Federal money is used to create a company. They can name board members (if they want), but it's considered a private company, publicly traded. That company goes out and makes money (since it's subsidized by the federal govt it has an advantage over its free market competition, especially when the fed govt continues paying its core operational costs). Stock and salaries from sitting on boards makes it lucrative to the congressional players. That company then goes out and creates more companies (or buying/merging) and people start losing track of where all these federally-funded, privately-owned entities are and what they're up to. It seems like the CIA came up with this idea to begin with- at least, they've been using it since the 50s/60s (The Asia Foundation). COMSAT's history is a pretty good example too.
Now, the big question is: How many CEOs recently resigning sit on companies that started or got absorbed into FFRDCs (Lockheed Martin!)?